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Silverbore Dwarves
Physical Description: It is difficult to tell the differences between silverbore dwarves and their better-known cousins under normal conditiona. On the ethereal plane, however, the differences become apparent as the silverbore dwarves' eyes begin to glow with a brilliant silver light. This innate ability has developed over the years in response to the dwarves' long relationship with the ethereal plane and is evidence of their ability to spot probable sites for planar breaches or extending the Silverbore. Society: Deep within the earth, there are places where the connections between the planes grow thin and permeable, allowing the daring or unwary to plunge through from one plane into another entirely. Generations ago, a group of dwarven miners discovered such a portal quite by accident---a vein of mithral they were following led them directly through a planar breach into the ethereal plane. Lost for years, the dwarves eventually learned how to tunnel through the stuff of the etheral plane, forging a new tunnel through which they attempted to return home. Sadly, they were unable to locate the proper plane and spent decades wandering through the planar wilderness before finally mastering the art of travelling from plane to plane. While they travelled, these dwarves had children of their own and took husbands and wives from the clans they met during their journeys, eventually growing into a large caravan of dwarves, shifting from plane to plane using supernatural knowledge to guide them through the demiplane they referred to as the Silverbore. Known now by the name they gave to their mode of travel, the silverbore dwarves have made a name for themselves as explorers and traders, bringing goods from distant lands and even different planes to market time and again. Silverbore dwarves are garrulous by necessity, always ready to speak to a potential client or source of information. It is believed that members of this extensive clan were once much more sullen and prone to silence until it was discovered that thesse traits did more harm than good. At the present, and for the foreseeeable future, silverbore dwarves are considered polite, talkative, and ready to listen when the time is right. Like many other tyoes of dwarf, those who travel the silverbore are very interested in gold, silver, and other precious items, though silverbore dwarves seem more fascinated with the value of items as trade goods rather than simply to heard and preserve. Relations: Silverbore dwarves are outgoing and friendly, with a healthy distrust of certain races and types of creature they regard as evil. While it is rare for a group of silverbore dwarves to begin a fight, they do their utmost to protect themselves if attacked. Best know in cities with which they have trade compacts and passage agreements, the silverbore dwarves are slowly gaining a name for themselves in more remote areas as they discover ways to extend the reach of the Silverbore more profitably. Alignment: Lawful good silverbore dwarves are the norm, though lawful neutral is gaining popularity with the younger generations. A lawful alignment is almost required for silverbore dwarves because of the concentration and intense focus of will necessary to successfully navigate or create new branches within the Silverbore. While rumours of a splinter clan of evil silverbore dwarves persist in many places, there is little evidence to support the existence of such a group. Religion: Deities have different names in different lands and from plane to plane vastly different gods may hold sway. In response to the inconstant nature of religion, silverbore dwarves worship ideals rather than specific deities. Silverbore clerics should choose two domains when they take their first level of cleric and gain the domain spells and special abilitiesfor those domains. In all ways, silverbore dwarven clerics should be regarded as clerics without deities. Adventures: With so much wandering in their daily lives, silverbore dwarves have many occasions to meet and interact with adventure. Younger silverbore dwarves are often seduced by the adventuring lifestyle and happily join bands of travellers in an effort to experience new and exciting things. Many of these return to their people after their first few violent encounters, but others find the lifestyle to their liking and help their companions travel the Silverbore in search of excitement and riches. Racial Traits: As per normal Dwarves with the below exceptions Ethereal Vision: Silverbore dwarves are able to see into the ethereal plane at will. This does not provide them with the ability to see invisible creatures, penetrate illusions, or see through solid objects. It simply allows the silverbore dwarves to see any creatures or objects which exist on the ethereal plane. It also allows them to detect any planar breaches within 30 feet. Within the Silverbore, creatures with this ability may see without difficulty, even if there is no other light available. Silverbore: Once a planar breach has been detected, creatures with the silverbore ability can penetrate the breach. This requires 8 hours of digging, as the creatre tunnels through the earth and into the Silverbore. The silverbore can be accessed underground only; if a planar breach is detected on the surface, creatures with this ability may not access it. The opening into the silverbore created by this ability is 5 feet wide and 5 feet tall and it will close 1d4 hours after it is opened. This ability may also be used from within the Silverbore to create an opening into another plane and requires the smae amount of time to use in this case. Likewise, the opening created from inside the Silverbore will remain open for 1d4 hours, after which time it seals itself. Silverbore: This demiplane runs through the ethereal plane like a river, forking at odd intervals until its branches appear as a network of silvery glowing tunnels. While they traverse the length and breadth of the ethereal plane, travellers on that plane only rarely see the tunnels of the Silverbore because its branches are widely separated. Like roads across a vast countryside, the Silverbore tunnels allow rapid travel but are not particularly common. The silverbore dwarves have extensive maps and direcories of the vast networks which make up the silverbore. This allows the clans to find their way along the branching tunnels, travelling from city to city along their trade routes. Individuals without these maps have a much more difficult time finding their way to a specific destination. If a character travelling along the Silverbore can read dwarven, he will be able to find signposts every 10 miles or so informing him of the directions and distances of various cities. These signposts always appear at intersections, providing handy references for travellers.